I’ve been enjoying the purity of the white cosmos (C. bipinnatus ‘Sensation Mix’) in my garden, so I thought I’d make an arrangement using them along with white phlox (P. paniculata) and white spider flower (Cleome hassleriana). Yellow zinnias (Z. elegans ‘County Fair Mix’) and lemony calendula (C. officinalis) add to the fresh look.

My frosted, white glass vase, etched with ferns, is one of my versatile favorites. I picked it up at the free table at our transfer station a couple of years ago. (This past Saturday, we picked up a nearly new espresso maker. I love that place!)

Thanks to Cathy at Rambling In the Garden, who hosts a weekly meme to showcase what is blooming in our gardens.

Wander over to see what gardeners all over the world are arranging this week.

Trying to feature more of my vase collection, I’m showing two vases this week, one bold and one demure.

The first is a blue, stoneware jug filled with bold, bright Zinnias (Z. elegans ‘Sprite’ mix and the only gold cactus-flowering type that survived the slugs).

The second is a more delicate, pastel arrangement in a 1940s hobnail milk-glass perfume decanter (it has a glass stopper). My mother had a similar one when I was growing up. I found this one in a vintage shop.

The highlight of the arrangement is my first Dahlia  ‘Moonstruck’ bloom, perfect in creamy-white with a touch of lemon. Above it, starry, white clusters of Garlic Chives (Allium tuberosum) have green eyes and dark stamens. Love-In-Mist (Nigella damascena) flowers in raspberry and green-tinged white, along with a few seed pods complement the dark pink Cosmos (C. ‘Sensation’). Sprigs of purple Catmint (Nepeta racemosa) finish…

To feature more of my vase collection, I’m offering two vases for today’s IAVOM.

The first, in an orange Blenko vase sporting autumn colors (that are showing around here in the trees faster than I’d like), are Dahlia ‘Tiki Torch’ with gold, salmon and lemon Zinnia ‘Sprite’ blooms. White Phlox (P. paniculata), yellow Calendula officinalis and Goldenrod (Solidago sp.) finish the arrangement.

For the second, I used a vintage, heirloom lead frog, with spiky nails to hold the stems. As you can imagine, it is quite heavy and topple-free.

Filled with velvety Dahlia ‘Voodoo’ blossoms, ‘Lemon Queen’ Sunflowers (Helianthus annuus), bright pink Zinnia ‘Sprite’ and light pink Cosmos ‘Sensation’ blooms.

Accents are lavender-blue Heart-leaved Aster (Symphyotrichum cordifolium), Nigella damascena seed pods and a few Ladybells (Adenophora confusa). Greens are Hosta leaves and fronds of Christmas fern (Polystichum acrostichoides).

Thanks to Cathy at Rambling In the Garden, who hosts a weekly meme…

The first Dahlia ‘Voodoo’ flowers opened yesterday, so get star billing in this week’s IAVOM. I love their rich, red-velvet blooms with a green eye. Unfortunately, the Japanese beetles like them, too, alas!

Small ‘Lemon Queen’ Sunflowers (Helianthus annuus) have opened as well… multi-branched, it looks promising there will be many more.

White and pink Phlox (P. paniculata), hot pink Cosmos ‘Sensation’ plus self-sown white Flowering Tobacco (Nicotiana alata) with a rose backside were added next. Once inside the house, they will open their fragrant blossoms.

Spikes of Catmint (Nepeta racemosa) provide a lavender-blue accent. The deeply lobed foliage are leaves of wild Flowering Raspberry (Rubus odoratus) and the vase is one of my favorites, frosted white with etched ferns, complemented by the vintage hand-crocheted doily.

Thanks to Cathy at Rambling In the Garden, who hosts a weekly meme to showcase arrangements created from our gardens. Wander over to see what gardeners all…

This week my sister sent me a fluted Lenox glass vase in the most beautiful shade of amethyst.  I’ve filled it in complimentary colors with the tallest flowers I currently have blooming.

Lavender Heart-leaved Asters (Symphyotrichum cordifolium) and spikes of Russian Sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia) offset Dahlia ‘Voodoo,’ which is flowering abundantly.

Fluffy white and pink Phlox (P. paniculata), light and dark pink Cosmos ‘Sensation’ and ‘Lemon Queen’ Sunflowers (Helianthus annuus) add a bit of contrast. Arching heads of Purple Fountain Grass (Pennisetum setaceum ‘Rubrum’) and green blades of Iris ensata finish the arrangement.

Thanks to Cathy at Rambling In the Garden, who hosts a weekly meme to showcase arrangements created from our gardens. Wander over to see what gardeners all over the world are arranging this week.